Vaporizing attachment for vacuum cleaners



July 29, 1952 v. J. LEE

VAPORIZING ATTACHMENT FOR VACUUM,CLEANERS Filed Jan. 27, 1950 IN VEN TOR. l/JAMES LEE aw aww Arm/ma Patented July 29, 1952 UNITED I STATES ATENT OFFICE VAPOR IZING ATTACHMENT FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Vincenzo James Lee, Cleveland, Ohio Application January 27, 1950, Serial No. 140,819 3 Claims. (01. 21-}1'27) This invention relates to Vaporizers and particularly to a vaporizing attachment for vacuum cleaners.

Conducive to a better understanding of this invention, it may be, Well to point out that it has been determined in recent years by the medical profession that an indoor atmosphere containing certain bacterial growth inhibitors such as ethylene glycol in the form of a vapor is free of germs harmful to human beings.

Persons habitually living in such a medicated atmosphere have been found to suffer less frequently-from common colds and similar air-borne diseases than those living in an untreated-environment.

The introduction of thebactericide into the atmosphere has been effected by spraying a fine mist of the liquid chemical into the air or by exposing large surfaces'of the liquid to the air.

Both of these methods have been'found to be ineflicient for the reason that the spray method projects too much material into the air; the excess falling to the floor whereit is lost. The simple exposure of a large expanseof the liquid chemical to still air produces unequal saturation of the room atmosphere.

The primary objectof this invention therefore is to provide a vaporizer for volatile bactericide liquidsthat not only introduces just the amount of vapor into the air of. a room that theair is capable of holding under the given conditions of temperature and pressure, but also forcibly mixes the treated and untreated air until uniform distribution of the vapor is obtained throughout the entire room.

Another object is to provide a device of the type stated that can be attached to the blower hose of a conventional-vacuum cleaner and is operable by the blast of air produced by the vacuum cleaner.

A further object is to provide a vaporizer attachment for vacuum cleaners. that will deliver only cleaned and filtered air to the vaporizing chamber. v

Still other objects are to provide a simple and inexpensive form of vaporizer that has no moving .parts, that can be easilymaintained in a sanitary condition and thatis well adapted for the use intended.

o These and other objects of theinvention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and claims together with the accompanying drawing wherein like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference characters and wherein: g

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of the assembled vaporizer;

Figure 2is a left end View of the same with portions broken away to show the inner structure;

Figure 3 is a right end view of the same;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of one of the interlocking means joining the case and cover showing the cover and case in their locked condition;

Figures 5 and 6 show the same area illustrated in the Figure 4 but with the case and cover respectively disengaged;

Figure '7 is a top plan view of a segment of the filter retainer ring;

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 8-8 of the Figure '7 Figure 9 is an exploded view of the device; and

Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the cover edge showing the peripheral flanges.

Now referring more particularly to the drawing there is shown therein a vaporizer attachment for vacuum cleaners comprising a cylindrical hollow case It having a cover or front wall 2i removably attached. theretor In the preferred form, the case and cover are made of molded plastic, although a light weight metal such as aluminum might be used. A plastic that is chemically inert is preferable, since such material is more easilykept clean.

The case It has a continuous circular sidewall H,- and a circular bottom wall l2. The side wall has a plurality of spaced slots Hi out therethrough which serve as air vents or outlets. Four' bosses or pegs l 5 are spaced equLdist-antly apart at the upper edge of the side wall i2 and are engageable by similarly spaced. L-shaped slots 25 cut in the edge of the flange 2 2 of the cover'2l to lock the cover and case together as hereinafter described.

Reference numeral l3 indicates a depressed circular cup formed integral with the bottom I2 of the case It. A locating post or stud E! is located in the center of the cup is as shown in the Figure 1. Two separable clips or fasteners I8 are mounted in the cup on either side of the post H. A pad of felted absorbent material i9 is shaped to fitvinto the cup l3, its thickness being approximately equal to the depth of th cup l3. 7

The pad I9 has acenter hole 2t that fits over the post I! to locate the pad in the center of.

the cup 13. The mating halves of the snap fasteners I8 are anchored in the pad on either side of the hole 20. When the pad I9 is in position in the cup [3, the mating halves of the snap fasteners are locked in engagement to securely hold the pad IS in place.

The cover 21 has a pair of concentric peripheral flanges 22 and 23 extending perpendicular thereto as is shown most clearly in the Figure 10. The said flanges being separated by a laterally extending shoulder 24. The inside diameter of the outer flange 22 being such that the flange 22 may be telescopically fitted over the open end of the case In with the side wall ll between the concentric flanges 22 and 23 as shown in the Figure 1.

An inlet hole 21 is located in the cover 20 and is positioned so as to be opposite the center of the depressed cup l3 of the case It] when the device is assembled. An externally threaded sleeve 28 is formed integral with the cover 2| at the hole 21. Reference character 29 indicates a soft rubber adapter to which a conventional vacuum cleaning hose can be attached in a sliding fit. Various adapters 29 can be interchangeably mounted on the sleeve 26 at will to enable the device to be attached to vacuum cleaner hoses of any diameter or stylev 'A bacteria and dust filter 3i! composed of a loosely felted cellulose disk such as is commonly used in tank type vacuum cleaners is seated on the edge of the inner cover flange 23 and over the air inlet hole 2? as shown in the Figures 1 and 3. that its edges just touch the inner edge of the flange 22. The filter is held in place by a looking ring 3! having points 32 on its lower face. The ring 3| fits between the flanges 22 and 23 and. is seated on the shoulder 24 on top of the peripheral edge of the filter disk 30.

To join the cover to the case the cover is positioned with the open legs of the L-shaped slots 25, as shown in the Figure 6, opposite the case lugs and as shown in the Figure 5. The cover flange 22 is telescopically slid over the case ll until the case lugs l5 are opposite the closed legs of the L-shaped slots 25. The cover is then twisted clockwise as shown in the Figure 4 to lock the two parts together.

At the same time, the telescoped edge of the case wall H bears against the filter locking ring 3! to press it against the edge-of thefilter paper which is caught between the ring 3! and the shoulder 24 and held securely in place.

The filter disk 35 may be easily replaced when dirty by reversing the steps just described.

In operation the device'is attached to. the blower hose of a vacuiun cleaner by meansof the adapter 2%. The absorbent pad is is removed from the case and saturated with ethylene glycol or other suitable liquids. The saturated pad is then replaced in the cup l3 and'the case and cover joined as described hereinabove andthe vacuum cleaner is set in operation.

Air blown through the inlet 2 passes through the air filter disk 39 which removes all bacteria contaminated dust. The filtered air then blows against the surface of the absorbent pad I9 causing the ethylene glycol to evaporate. The air absorbs the maximum amount of vapor it is capable of holding under the conditions of temperatire and pressure prevailing at the moment. The vapor laden air then passes through the case vents i4 and out into the room whose atmosphere is being conditioned. Since the vents M are The diameter of the filter disk is such located at an angle of ninety degrees to the absorbent pad I9, the air within the case It is thoroughly agitated and repeatedly brought into forceful contact with the pad 19 before it turns at a right angle to its original course and leaves the case by the vents l4. Thus the air passing through the device is completely and thoroughly impregnated with vapor.

Inasmuch as the vacuum cleaner is ordinarily located within the room being treated, after a short period of time all the air in the room will have been picked up by the cleaner and forced through the vaporizer, not once, but several times. This assures a uniform dispersal of the ethylene glycol vapor throughout the entire room. Inasmuch as the ethylene glycol leaving the vaporizer must be air borne, the device is very efficient for the vapor emitted is limited by the carrying ability of the air passing through it. No chemical is lost as is the case when droplets of the liquid are sprayed into the air.

It will now be'clear that there is provided a device which accomplishes the objectives heretofore set forth. While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the specific embodiment thereof, as described and illustrated herein, is not to be considered in a limited sense as there may be other forms or modifications of the invention which should also be construed to come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A germicide vaporizer attachment for a vacuum cleaner of the type having a blower hose, comprising in combination, a hollow cylindrical case having a continuous circular side wall and a depressed cup portionin the bottom wall thereof, the said side wall having an air vent therethrough, the said cup portion having a locating pin mounted in the center thereof, a cover removably seated on the said side wall having an air inlet therethrough axially aligned with the center of the said cupportion, when thus assembled, and provided with a sleeve adapted to engage the aforesaidblower hose, a bacteria filter mounted on the inside of .said cover over the said inlet; the saidfilter comprising a disk of loosely felted cellulose'fi'ber, an absorbent pad adapted to be saturated with a volatile'liquid germicide removably seated in the said cup, the said pad having a. central hole therethrough engageable with the said locating pin, and mean-s for retaining the said pad in position, the said pad being axially aligned with the aforesaid air inlet, whereby entering air is caused to impinge upon the said pad before being deflected out through the said side wall vent.

2. A germicide vaporizer attachment for a vacuum cleaner ofthe type having a blower hose, comprising in combination, a hollow cylindrical case having a continuous circular side wall and a depressed cup portion in the bottom wall thereof, the said side wall having an air vent therethrough, the said cup portion having a' locating pin mounted in the center thereof, a cover reinovably seated 'on the said side wall having an air inlet therethrough axiallyaligned with the center of the said cup portion, when thus assembled, and provided with a. sleeve adapted to engage the afo-resaid blower hose, a bacteria filter mounted on the inside of said cover over the said inlet, the said filter comprising a .disk of loosely felted cellulose fiber, an absorbent pad adapted to be saturated with a volatile liquid germicide removable seated in thes-aid cup, the

said pad having a central hole therethrough engageable with the said locating pin, clip means in the said cup on either side of said locating pin and engageable with the pad to retain same in position, the said pad being axially aligned with the aforesaid air inlet, whereby entering air is caused to impinge upon the said pad before bein deflected out through the said side wall vent.

3. A germicide vaporizer attachment for a vacuum cleaner of the type having a blower hose, comprising in combination, a hollow cylindrical case having a continuous circular side wall and a depressed cup portion in the bottom wall thereof, the said side wall having an air vent therethrough, the said cup portion having a locating pin mounted in the center thereof, a cover having a pair of peripheral concentric circular flanges spaced to receive the side wall therebetween, removably mounted on the said side wall, the said cover also having an air inlet therethrough axially aligned with the center of the .said cup portion when thus assembled, and provided with a sleeve adapted to engage the aforesaid blower hose; a bacteria filter seated on the cover flanges over the said inlet; a locking ring seated between the said flanges and also between the filter and the side wall, whereby it is brought into pressed engagement with the periphery of the said filter when the 'cover is mounted on the REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,521,872 Dellinger Jan. 6, 1925 1,810,613 Keller June 16, 1931 1,842,900 Ell Jan. 26, 1932 1,863,883 Schneider June 21, 1932 1,867,640 Wid-ders et a1 July 19, 1932 1,911,669 Berndsen et a1 May 30, 1933 2,085,244 White June 29, 1937 2,098,072 Taylor Nov. 2, 1937 2,248,610 'Clemen-t-s July 8, 1941 

1. A GERMICIDE VAPORIZER ATTACHMENT FOR A VACUUM CLEANER OF THE TYPE HAVING A BLOWER HOSE, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL CASE HAVING A CONTINUOUS CIRCULAR SIDE WALL AND A DEPRESSED CUP PORTION IN THE BOTTOM WALL THEREOF, THE SAID WALL HAVING AN AIR VENT THERETHROUGH, THE SAID CUP PORTION HAVING A LOCATING PIN MOUNTED IN THE CENTER THEREOF, A COVER REMOVABLY SEATED ON THE SAID SIDE WALL HAVING AN AIR INLET THERETHROUGH AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE CENTER OF SAID CUP PORTION, WHEN THUS ASSEMBLED, AND PROVIDED WITH A SLEEVE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE AFORESAID BLOWER HOSE, A BACTERIA FILTER MOUNTED ON THE INSIDE OF SAID COVER OVER THE SAID INLET, THE SAID FILTER, COMPRISING A DISK OF LOOSELY FELTED CELLULOSE FIBER, AN ABSORBENT PAD ADAPTED TO BE SATURATED WITH A VOLATILE LIQUID GERMICIDE REMOVABLY SEATED IN THE SAID CUP, THE SAID PAD HAVING A CENTRAL HOLE THERETHROUGH ENGAGEABLE WITH THE SAID LOCATING PIN, AND MEANS FOR RETAINING THE SAID PAD IN POSITION, THE SAID PAD BEING AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE AFORESAID AIR INLET, WHEREBY ENTERING AIR IS CAUSED TO IMPINGE UPON THE SAID PAD BEFORE DEFLECTED OUT THROUGH THE SAID SIDE WALL VENT. 